Micronauts

Submitted by colin on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 00:10

Micronauts: Reverberating in Inner Space
Original Release: 1976-1980

A decade before Hasbro would try the same trick of merging Japanese robotic toys with North American sensibilities, the mighty Mego would import Takara's Microman to North America and introduce children to the world of the Micronauts.

Without the ability to rely on a 22 minute infomercial or a big screen movie, Mego turned to Marvel Comics to flush out its creation. Beginning in 1979, the comic book told the tale of the valiant Commander Rann and his merry band facing off against the evil Baron Karza to free their beloved home world from the oppression of the body banks. That the Marvel lore bore little resemblance to the translucent figures that piloted a variety of interchangeable vehicle and battle stations mattered little at the time, as the wounds that Mego managed to self-inflict in its ruinous chase for science fiction properties to compensate for passing on Lucas' vision ensured that the printed word would outlive the original source material. More recently, conflicts between the copyrights for the likenesses of the printed and produced heroes have prevented a sustained rennasance found in other nastalgia lines.

But in the world of customized Munnies, the crew of the Endevour can be made whole again.

When I started looking at the Micronauts and the information online, I was inspired not only by my memories of the original toys and comics, but also by interpretations of the magnetic characters used for Baron Karza and Force Commander that emerged with the Interchangeables in the 1980s and from Palisades in the early part of the 2000s. As such, I have envisioned Munny Micronauts that may not be exactly true to purists but will certainly hit all the key points through a series of four waves of four figures, with chase figures to provide the mock-line-up with a modern collector sensibility. How some of the characters in the later lines will come to fruition, how long it will take to complete each wave, and whether I will go beyond into a fifth wave will depend on inspiration. For now, here is the outline: